Labneh with (rose petal) jam

Whether we call it labneh as they do in Arabic, or suzma in Central Asia, or mast-è chekideh (literally ‘strained yoghurt’) in Iran, or simply Greek yoghurt, this fermented (and often strained) milk is the glue that connects all of Central Asia, the Middle East, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Levant — and even the Balkans and beyond.

From dressing all sorts of borani, to dumplings and grilled meat, yoghurt is omnipresen